Bin The Labour Party

Thursday, 4 June 2026

COUNCIL BY-ELECTION 04.06.26

It's the second week of solitary by-elections, but don't worry - June is going to be very busy, with more than 40 seats up for grabs later this month, plus three Westminster by-elections.

Technically, there were two by-elections this week, but the other one was a non-partisan affair for the distinctive City of London Corporation. This uppity local authority doesn't even call itself a council and refers to its elected members as 'aldermen' instead of councillors. The most interesting thing about this by-election was that among the field of eight independents, there was a chap called Ronnie Barker! We'll skip over this contest, as it is of little interest to anybody beyond the snooty realms of central London.

The main action took place in Cumbria...

Hawcoat & Newbarns, Westmorland and Furness Council

Ref: 1,139 (48.4%) New

Lab: 576 (24.5%) -9.8%

Con: 447 (19.0%) -21.5%

Grn: 121 (5.1%) New

LDm: 69 (2.9%) -2.7%

Ref GAIN from Con

A stunning gain for Reform, taking the seat at the first time of asking. The party appeared to take full advantage of the absence of an independent this time around, also taking a big swing from the Tories and a smaller swing from Labour. They finished with almost twice the amount of votes amassed by second placed Labour, as the Tories slumped to third. The vacancy had arisen through the relocation of the incumbent overseas for work.

Karl - Ref GAIN ✔

Rich - Lab GAIN ✘

Karl now leads Richey 3-1 after week three

Tuesday, 2 June 2026

TOON TUESDAY #105

A mixed bag this week, with Tony Blair's intervention the main theme. His critique of Starmer's government, combined with a swipe at Andy Burnham, led to public squabbling involving the former PM, the current PM, Burnham - even Wes Streeting got involved. We end this week's selection with a couple of Sturgeon-related efforts. She knew nothing, right!

Christian Adams for The Daily Telegraph

Morten Morland for The Times

Christian Adams for The Daily Telegraph

Pete Songi on X

Nick Newman for The Sunday Times

Ella Baron for The Guardian

Ben Jennings for The Guardian

Patrick Blower for The Daily Telegraph

Matt Pritchett for The Daily Telegraph

Patrick Blower for The Daily Telegraph

Monday, 1 June 2026

MEME MONDAY #85

Karl is currently away and the memes have begun to dry up, hence dwindling returns. Richey will try his hand over the next day or two, but in the meantime here are the handful that were published last week...

Mon 25 May - 76 shares

Mon 25 May - 8 shares

Mon 25 May - 62 shares. Judging by the comments, this show is still
fondly remembered more than 40 years on, albeit sadly now a relic of a
more homogeneous past

Wed 27 May - 316 shares

Wed 27 May - 23 shares

Thu 28 May - 394 shares. Scotland is a land in which legends continue to
be born and this lad follows in the footsteps of the wee lassie who famously
brandished an axe and a knife to ward off migrant deviants only last year

Thu 29 May - 58 shares. The usual suspects were bussed into Wigan from
the south of England to protest against the election of more than two dozen
Reform councillors in the recent local elections. These anti-democratic
fascists are also flocking to the nearby Makerfield constituency to try and
stop Reform from unseating Labour there and - by design or by proxy -
support Burnham's attempt to wrest control of the party from Starmer

Sat 30 May - 5 shares

Just two Facebook Stories were published last week on account of Karl's holiday...

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Sunday, 31 May 2026

BOATWATCH #61

The twelve day unexplained lull that spanned mid-May is now well and truly behind us. The explosion in arrivals last weekend was followed by a week of almost daily interceptions - Thursday being the only exception. Last week the boats were packed with an average of almost 73 colonists.

2026 is now trending upwards again. Despite all the rhetoric of Starmer and Mahmood, nothing has changed. We may as well be back in the days of Johnson and Sunak.

Total = 872 (up 191 from previous week)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CLINT

On 31 May 1930 a true Hollywood legend was born. Clinton Eastwood Jr has had one of the longest careers in the industry and directed his most recent film - the critically acclaimed Juror #2 - at the age of 93. Since 2021, a photo of Eastwood has been a regular fixture in our extensive catalogue of memes. The photograph in question is a promotional picture from his 2008 classic Gran Torino, in which he both starred and directed.

Karl has selected some of his favourite Eastwood memes here. Hopefully, it goes without saying that none of these smart quips are attributable to Mr Eastwood himself in any way, but there - we said it anyway...

At the age of 96, Clint Eastwood has not officially retired and we certainly won't be retiring him soon either!

Thursday, 28 May 2026

ABERDEEN & ARBROATH CANDIDATES

While the media focus remains on Makerfield, two other MPs will be elected the same day. Two Westminster elections north of the border have been triggered by SNP incumbents having been elected to the Scottish Parliament. Another reason for the general lack of interest is that both seats are very much expected to return more of the same.

The SNP does not have particularly large majorities in either seat, but with toxic Labour in second place last time around it is highly unlikely voters will swap one left-wing party for one that is currently tanking. Aberdeen South is marginally more interesting, with the seat having historically switched between Labour and Conservative up until the SNP surge of 2015. The Tories regained the seat briefly at the 2017 general election, but it returned to the SNP two years later and remained that way in 2024.

The Greens could squeeze Labour here, but then Reform will squeeze the Tories (and Labour). With all that happening it's difficult to see anything other than an SNP hold. The Alliance for Democracy and Freedom is a Unionist libertarian Christian party.

Aberdeen South by-election candidates

Nurul Hoque Ali (Labour)

David Ballantine (Alliance for Democracy and Freedom)

Jo Hart (Reform UK)

Douglas Lumsden (Conservative)

Jorg Shelton Eckstein (Green)

Mel Sullivan (Liberal Democrats)

Richard Thomson (Scottish National Party)

Aberdeen South 2024 general election result

Stephen Flynn (SNP) 15,213 (32.8%) -12.5%

M. Tauqeer Malik (Lab) 11,455 (24.7%) +15.9%

John Wheeler (Con) 11,300 (24.4%) -10.0%

Michael Pearce (Ref) 3,199 (6.9%) +6.5%

Jeff Goodhall (LDm) 2,921 (6.3%) -4.4%

Guy Ingerson (Grn) 1,609 (3.5%) +3.0%

Graeme Craib (SFP) 423 (0.9%) New

Sophie Molly (Ind) 225 (0.5%) New

SNP HOLD

Arbroath and Broughty Ferry is a relatively new seat born from boundary changes set in 2023 and debuting a year later in the general election. Most of the new seat comes from the now defunct Dundee East, which historically swayed between Labour and the SNP. With a small majority of 859, this by-election presents a better chance for Labour usurping the SNP, aided further by the absence of a Green candidate splitting the left-wing vote three ways.

Arbroath and Broughty Ferry candidates

Tanvir Ahmad (Liberal Democrats)

Lara Bird (Scottish National Party)

Jack Cruickshanks (Conservative)

Heather Doran (Labour)

Bill Reid (Reform UK)

Arbroath and Broughty Ferry 2024 general election result

Stephen Gethins (SNP) 15,581 (35.3%) -15.6%

Cheryl-Ann Cruickshank (Lab) 14,722 (33.4%) +23.2%

Richard Brooks (Con) 6,841 (15.5%) -14.8%

Gwen Wood (Ref) 3,800 (8.6%) New

David Evans (LDm) 2,249 (5.1%) -2.9%

Ghazi Khan (Alb) 693 (1.6%) New

Moira Brown (Sov) 231 (0.5%) New

SNP HOLD

COUNCIL BY-ELECTION 28.05.26

It's a quiet week ahead with just two vacancies to fill across this week and next. This week's solitary contest took place in Swansea. Three by-elections will be held on June 11, then a bonanza erupts a week later with no less than 18 seats to fill - plus three Westminster by-elections. This is followed by a whopping 21 council by-elections a week later. June is going to be a busy month for party activists.

Fairwood, Swansea Council

LDm: 240 (29.3%) +19.9%

Lab: 185 (22.6%) -9.3%

Ref: 139 (17.0%) New

Ind: 94 (11.5%) New

Con: 84 (10.3%) -30.3%

Ind: 77 (9.4%) New

LDm GAIN from Con

An astonishing gain for the Lib Dems who finished last in this ward last time around. The vacancy had arisen through the death of the incumbent Tory, but voters took no sympathy and almost relegated the party to last place - averted by just seven votes. Plaid finished third here last time, but did not field a candidate this time. This appears to have benefited the Lib Dems, rather than Labour.

Karl - Ref GAIN ✘

Rich - Ref GAIN ✘

Karl still leads Richey 2-1 after week two, both having gone for a Reform gain.

WHAT IF ED WON (AGAIN)

In his final video filmed over the Bank Holiday weekend, Richey discusses the potential Labour leadership election that haunts Starmer's troubled premiership. Burnham remains odds on favourite to succeed Starmer across betting markets, followed by Rayner, Miliband and Streeting.

Ladbrokes are currently offering the following odds.

Andy Burnham 4/9

Angela Rayner 6/1

Ed Miliband 11/1

Wes Streeting 14/1

Alistair Carns 20/1

Shabana Mahmood 40/1

Yvette Cooper 50/1

Watch below or on YouTube (five minute watch)

Of course the Ed Miliband scenario discussed by Richey, can only come about if both he and Burnham stand. Burnham has to win Makerfield and there are currently no indications as to whether Miliband plans to enter the fray.

Wednesday, 27 May 2026

MAKERFIELD BALLOT CONFIRMED

Nominations have closed for the high stakes Makerfield by-election and as is customary for such occasions, it will be a crowded ballot paper for voters. A total of fourteen candidates will appear on the ballot paper, with the majority of them set to lose their £500 deposit in exchange for a spot in the limelight. Three months ago in Gorton and Denton, only three candidates from a field of eleven saved their deposits (the Greens, Reform and Labour). Last year, in Runcorn and Helsby, it was four from fifteen (Reform, Labour, Conservatives and Green).

The quest for publicity and, perhaps other agendas, is evident from the fact that the two other parliamentary by-elections scheduled for the same day - June 18 - have significantly fewer candidates.

The Aberdeen South by-election will have just six candidates, while Arbroath and Broughton Ferry will choose from five. This says a lot about the motivations about some of those standing in Makerfield. Only four parties - Labour, Conservative, Reform and the Lib Dems - are standing in all three Westminster by-elections on June 18.

These are the 14 candidates standing in Makerfield (a separate post will appear for the two Scottish seats).

Makerfield by-election candidates

Jake Austin (Liberal Democrats)

Count Binface (Independent)

Andy Burnham (Labour)

Dan Clarke (Libertarian)

John Dyer (Independent)

Ed Gemmell (Climate)

Paul Gould (Independent)

Howling Laud Hope (Monster Raving Loony)

Robert Kenyon (Reform UK)

Robert Pownall (Independent)

Rebecca Shepherd (Restore Britain)

Sarah Wakefield (Green)

Peter Ward (Rejoin EU)

Michael Winstanley (Conservative)

Makerfield 2024 general election result

Josh Simons (Lab) 18,202 (45.2%) -0.1%

Robert Kenyon (Ref) 12,803 (31.8%) +18.7%

Simon Finkelstein (Con) 4,379 (10.9%) -23.4%

John Skipworth (LDm) 2,735 (6.8%) +2.0%

Maria Deery (Grn) 1,776 (4.4%) +1.8%

Thomas Bryer (EDm) 368 (0.9%) New

Lab HOLD

Tuesday, 26 May 2026

TOON TUESDAY #104

Andy Burnham and Makerfield are very much the theme this week, with a sprinkling of Red Rachel's spring statement overtures to a beleaguered electorate...